Methods of making metal objects are provided. These methods generally involve adding a metal powder slurry into a sacrificial mold, such as a mold made by three dimensional printing, and heating the slurry/mold mixture. The heating steps may include curing the slurry to make a green part inside the mold, debinding to burn off the mold and binder to make a brown part, sintering, and hot isostatic pressing. Metal products, such as aircraft engine parts, are also provided.

Methods of making metal objects are provided. These methods generally involve adding a metal powder slurry into a sacrificial mold, such as a mold made by three dimensional printing, and heating the slurry/mold mixture. The heating steps may include curing the slurry to make a green part inside the mold, debinding to burn off the mold and binder to make a brown part, sintering, and hot isostatic pressing. Metal products, such as aircraft engine parts, are also provided.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

The present disclosure relates generally to a method for improving the performance of sintered NdFeB magnet. A method of preparing a sintered NdFeB magnet therefore comprises the steps of: a) preparing alloy flakes from a raw material of the NdFeB magnet by a strip casting process; and b) preparing a coarse alloy powder from the alloy flakes by a hydrogen decrepitation process, the hydrogen decrepitation process including treatment of the alloy flakes under a hydrogen pressure of 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa for a duration of 1 to 3.5 hours, then degassing the hydrogen at a predetermined temperature between 300° C. to 400° C. for a duration time of 0.5 to 5 hours, and then mixing the resulting coarse alloy powder with a lubricant.

The present disclosure relates generally to a method for improving the performance of sintered NdFeB magnet. A method of preparing a sintered NdFeB magnet therefore comprises the steps of: a) preparing alloy flakes from a raw material of the NdFeB magnet by a strip casting process; and b) preparing a coarse alloy powder from the alloy flakes by a hydrogen decrepitation process, the hydrogen decrepitation process including treatment of the alloy flakes under a hydrogen pressure of 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa for a duration of 1 to 3.5 hours, then degassing the hydrogen at a predetermined temperature between 300° C. to 400° C. for a duration time of 0.5 to 5 hours, and then mixing the resulting coarse alloy powder with a lubricant.

A method and apparatus for surface densification of powder metal annular preforms is described. A forming tool has external helical teeth corresponding to internal helical teeth of the preform. A die correspondingly configured to the external splines of the preform circumferentially surrounds the forming tool. The forming tool, die and lower punch(es) collectively define an aperture dimensioned to receive the preform. Upper punch(es) encase the preform in the aperture. Surface densification of the internal surface of the preform is achieved by movement of the preform axially over the forming tool. External splines of the preform and corresponding die splines direct the preform axially while internal helical teeth and corresponding forming teeth direct the forming tool to rotate as the preform moves. The forming teeth have varying dimensions in the circumferential and radial directions to apply compression and relaxation to densify the surface of the preform helical teeth.

A method and apparatus for surface densification of powder metal annular preforms is described. A forming tool has external helical teeth corresponding to internal helical teeth of the preform. A die correspondingly configured to the external splines of the preform circumferentially surrounds the forming tool. The forming tool, die and lower punch(es) collectively define an aperture dimensioned to receive the preform. Upper punch(es) encase the preform in the aperture. Surface densification of the internal surface of the preform is achieved by movement of the preform axially over the forming tool. External splines of the preform and corresponding die splines direct the preform axially while internal helical teeth and corresponding forming teeth direct the forming tool to rotate as the preform moves. The forming teeth have varying dimensions in the circumferential and radial directions to apply compression and relaxation to densify the surface of the preform helical teeth.

A method for manufacturing a target material is provided and includes installing a substrate, providing a raw material powder to the substrate, melting the raw material powder on the substrate by a laser, and repeating the step of providing the raw material powder to the substrate to melting the raw material powder on the substrate by the laser to form a target material and rapidly cooling the formed target material. As such, the target material is produced by the method of lamination manufacturing via the rapid cooling property, so as to avoid the problems of high cost, long man-hours and poor quality of the target material in the conventional techniques.

The dust core comprises a plurality of soft magnetic iron-based particles, a coating layer disposed on each of the surfaces of the soft magnetic iron-based particles, an interstitial layer disposed between the coating layers, and a nanopowder disposed between the soft magnetic iron-based particles. The coating layer is a layer of a compound comprising Fe, Si, O, B and N; and the nanopowder is a powder of a compound comprising O, N and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Si, Zr, Co, Al, Mg, Mn and Ni.